King Abdullah to hold talks with President Bush in mid January

January 4, 2008

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz will hold talks with President George W. Bush in mid January, the White House has announced.

President Bush will visit Saudi Arabia January 14-15 as part of a regional tour that also includes visits to Israel, the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt.

“The trip will be an opportunity to reaffirm the enduring commitment of the United States to the security of our friends and allies in the Middle East, especially the Gulf nations,” National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters yesterday.

Bush’s visit to Saudi Arabia will be his first as president. In April 2005, King Abdullah met with President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.